The Relationship Between State of Mind and Concentration (Part 1)

Question: Sometimes during meditation, I clearly perceive that the conscious mind has become fully still, free from wandering thoughts, yet images like landscapes with mountain peaks, forests, birds, animals, and monks appear in my mind. I can clearly perceive that these images are not conjured by the sixth consciousness; they seem to emerge suddenly without reason. Is this a meditative state (samadhi) arising in concentration? If so, is this a relatively deeper level of samadhi?

Answer: First of all, the mind that clearly perceives is itself the conscious mind. Although the consciousness has no obvious thoughts, it still has perception, so it is not fully still. Even if the consciousness intends to become still, if the manas (the seventh consciousness) is unwilling to be still and continues to stir up activities, the consciousness cannot become still, or cannot become completely still. All thoughts and images that arise involuntarily in the mind, beyond the control of consciousness, are manifestations of the manas, perceived by the mind-door consciousness (mano-vijñana). This is a state of scattered mental images (vicitra-pratibimba), not a meditative state. At this point, one cannot claim that the consciousness has become fully still; one's own judgment is inaccurate. The most basic requirement for a meditative state is access concentration (anāgamya-samādhi). Only states that arise at or above this level of meditative absorption can be considered meditative states; below this level, meditative states do not arise.

In learning Buddhism, the most fundamental thing is to spend some time clarifying all the basic concepts, so that one can accurately judge various phenomena. Gain more experience, practice more teachings, and do not easily draw conclusions or make comments about various phenomena; be more steady. Any achievement, whether worldly or supramundane, requires considerable effort and sacrifice to attain. Do not begrudge your own efforts, do not be overly calculating with yourself, just focus on practicing diligently, and do not be too concerned about the results. Beginners in Buddhism always need encouragement, comfort, and guidance from others. But if this condition is not available, one must face everything alone, rely less on external factors; the more independent one is, the more capable one becomes, and the greater the achievement.

Question: During sitting meditation, if I look at the sun for a few seconds with my eyes open, small light clusters resembling laser lights in cyan, emerald green, or pink appear in front of my forehead. They are extremely beautiful, mostly emerald green, and last for about a minute before slowly disappearing. If I focus my intention on these light clusters, they noticeably brighten. Is this purely a physiological phenomenon, or is it a good sign that only appears during meditation?

Answer: This is purely a physiological phenomenon. When you squint at the sun, light refraction occurs, causing various colored lights and shadows to appear before your eyes. After looking at the sun, when you close your eyes, the various colored lights that appear are due to visual persistence. Although the eye consciousness and mind consciousness have ceased seeing the light, the image lingers for a while after closing the eyes; it is a brief visual memory. In reality, the color has already vanished. This is not only the case when looking at sunlight; it is the same when seeing other colors. It is precisely because of this phenomenon of visual persistence and delay that when we see all forms (rūpa), they appear complete and continuous, rather than feeling discrete or seeing one form after another connected. This makes all forms seem so real and believable, leading us to take all forms as real, to discriminate and cling to them, unwilling to let go or disregard them.

If the mind is calm and meditative concentration is good, one will observe that the self and the realms of objects are not continuously and tightly connected, but rather appear like images gradually decomposing in slow motion. The mind will then feel a sense of unreality. By continuing to observe in this way, one will eventually realize the emptiness of the five aggregates (skandhas).